Change is the watchword in chemicals buying. A new exclusive research study by PURCHASING Magazine finds chemicals-consuming companies—

• Aggregating their demand and using fewer suppliers,
• Centralizing their buying organizations to exploit corporate purchasing leverage,
• Using more instruments, such as futures contracts, to manage price and supply risks for chemicals, chemical raw materials, and energy,
• Buying more chemical products directly from producers and placing fewer orders with distributors (a consequence, perhaps, of more center-led strategic buying), and
• Making fewer spot buys in favor of more long-term contracts with suppliers.